2017 has been active at Mt. Lookout Grange. As well as hosting second Sunday community dinners, events at the Grange included Spring Bloom with May pole, Mt. Lookout Grange’s 100th Birthday celebration featuring locals’ memories and history of the Grange. Construction of a building addition included a commercially certified kitchen and food pantry. The pantry is operated by Mancos FoodShare, and provides weekly distributions to families in our community that are experiencing food insecurity. Other lively social events included a locally sourced American meal served to our visitors from Feins, France, Mancos’ sister city, a pig roast featuring delicious local food, beverages, and live music; a free pancake breakfast honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., attended by more than 120 guests which included Mancos Elementary students.

The hard working Board of the MLG wishes to thank our amazing community for showing up. We intend to continue to offer fellowship, education, and great food in 2018 and beyond. May Bloom is scheduled for Sunday May 20th, and the annual Pig Roast Sat. Sept 15. Get them on your calendar!

2018 memberships are due. $38 includes discounted hall rental and notifications about all of our not to be missed events! The National Grange collects $28 of that, and includes some other benefits. You can pay at the Grange or to any Board member, or mail a check to 680 Grand Ave. Mancos 81328. Thanks, we can’t do it without you.

The Grange will continue being available for meetings and gatherings throughout construction, however, this weekend and the community dinner will be the last for the kitchen for at least 30 days. There will not be a Community Dinner in March.

Also, from board member Josh Horner via Facebook…

Volunteer opportunity!!!!! Help is needed at the grange following the community supper this sunday to pack the dishes from the kitchen into boxes and move them down into the cellar. Also, on monday the 13th of February I am requesting help to take the kitchen cabinets apart at the grange. I will be starting at 8am. Anyone interested in either one of these events please respond to this message. Thank you!!!!

The Mancos FoodShare, a newly formed nonprofit dedicated to addressing hunger security in the Mancos Valley, and the Mt. Lookout Grange have joined forces to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to access healthy and local food.

In making this commitment, the plan is to incorporate a food storage area and a commercial kitchen at the Mancos Mt. Lookout Grange that will result in storage and food production for the less fortunate in the community.

Expanding upon this vision to build a garden and food pantry at the Mancos Grange, Mancos FoodShare will utilize this facility as a place where people can learn how to grow, can, preserve and cook their own food! This educational program is part of the long-term solution to help combat hunger in the area.

As part of this vision come-to-life, the Durango Leadership Program, Tiospaye, has made an incredibly bold commitment to raise $60,000 in three weeks contributing to this large scale build of a garden and food pantry on the Mancos Valley Mt. Lookout Grange.

This is a huge endeavor, and while we are confident that this will become a reality, we need your support. Anything you can contribute is greatly appreciated.

You can donate directly through pay pal, or send a check to Mancos FoodShare. Here’s the link that will direct you to the donate page. They also have a list of items that they need for the build.

The Grange is excited about this partnership and the opportunity to help others gain access to healthy, local food. We hope you will take a moment and contribute today.

Mancos FoodShare is proud to be a project of Mancos Valley Resources 501c3. All donations are tax deductible.

Master drummer, Ibrahimasory Fofana “Soriba” will be in Mancos Sunday, June 26th. Bradley Hoessle, drummer and percussionist for the local band Afrobeatniks will be hosting this drum and dance workshop. There will also be a live performance Sunday evening, 7pm at the Grange. For more information, please review the poster below.

To sign up for any of the workshops, please contact Bradley, 970.764.7771.

The Mancos Free Box has been in place for just over one month and while it’s a great place for everyone to donate items and for others to pick up new(ish) treasures, it is still a living experiment. It’s up to all of us to keep the free box clean, organized, and fun for everyone.

Here are a few simple rules that we hope you will keep in mind when you visit and interact with the Free box.
We ask that all items be clean and in good, working condition. Please!

Please fold your items and place in labeled cubbies.

Please do NOT leave your items in bags or boxes next to the Free Box. Then, someone else will have to unload, sort and put in the cubbies.

Can’t fit your items in the cubbies? Please do NOT leave next to Free Box. Instead, for larger items, we ask that you please leave your contact info and post on the message board.

Right now the Free box is flowing with all kinds of useful items–mens and womens clothing, a cat litter box, like new rubber boots, and a variety of household items.
Stop by and check out all of the incredible items that have been donated.

Thanks again for your contributions and help to make the Free Box a place for all to enjoy!

In celebration of the beginning of summer, the Mancos Grange will be hosting its annual Maypole and Mother’s Day Celebration, Sunday May 8th. This is also a fundraiser event to support the Grange.

As a family friendly event, there will be arts and crafts, games for the kids, and a traditional may pole dance.

Festivities begin at 3pm. Please see the detailed schedule of the day’s events below.

The unveiling of the Mancos Free Box will be part of the day with a special ribbon-cutting to celebrate this new, community gifting hub, a local swap stop of workable, usable items for folks to gift to those who may be in need, or can use such items.

Please join us Sunday, May 8th, and support the Grange, enjoy a full day of activities, the community, potluck dinner, local beer and live music.

Grange members and friends gathered for the first of what will be several work parties this spring to set up the first-ever Mancos Free Box. Ann (Kennedy), Dana (Thompson), Jordan (Lang), Lois (Lang), Gretchen (Groenke), Kathryn (Fulton), and M’Lissa (Story) met for a few hours to work on the creation of the free box, a community project that everyone will enjoy!

What is a Free Box? Some call it a local swap stop, or a community gifting hub. The Free Box is a physical space for individuals to recycle usable items, such as clothing, books, shoes, or household items, for others who may need or can use such items.

Benefits of a Free Box One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Instead of discarding good, working appliances, tools or clothes, you can donate them to the Free Box.

Helps to prevent usable goods from going into landfills.
Allows products to be used to their fullest extent.
Reduces waste, while helping those in need.
Recycle, Reuse, Reduce in action!

Below are a few photos of the beginning stages. These ladies have been generous with their time, energy and gathering of materials. Next work party has not yet been determined, however if you would like to help, please contact Gretchen, [email protected]

Eddy is offering his expert opinion regarding where the dividers should go… that’s in between offering rocket ship rides 🙂

Kathryn and Ann get creative with scrap plywood transforming into dividers to create cubbies.